Jayhawks looking to establish running game after Missouri showing
Kansas entered their last game in the Border Showdown knowing Missouri would be a major test. That proved true, as the Tigers held the Jayhawks to just 31 rushing yards on 19 attempts.
Running backs Daniel Hishaw and Leshon Williams combined for only six total yards, with Hishaw finishing with 11 on six carries and Williams ending the day at -5 on three attempts.
Head coach Lance Leipold said that while the struggles were frustrating, they knew it would be a challenge against the Missouri defensive front.
“If you remember the day we met in here before that game, we talked about how big and physical and athletic that front seven was, and they were, and it was noticeable,” Leipold said.
He explained the challenges in the run game often come down to execution and it can break down if just one person doesn’t handle the assignment.
“When a running play doesn’t work, it might be this guy on this play or this guy on that play, and there’s different things that happen,” Leipold said. “When you’re very multiple like us and you’re not running a ton of plays, you have a tendency then to go to another play and another option sometimes.
“And again, you end up kind of spinning your wheels a little bit trying to find the group of run plays and things that’ll balance and make some things happen. That was a disappointing and frustrating day.”
Part of his message to the running backs was fighting through difficult matchups when they knew getting yards may be tough to come by. Leipold said he spoke with Hishaw before and after the game about it.
“I talked to Daniel about it before the game that this was going to be one of those games where you’re going to have to fight for two or three yards,” Leipold said. “And he understood that and knew that. I caught Daniel walking out after the game, and though he was disappointed, I think he understood that it was one of those days you’ve got to fight through.”
For Leipold, one of the positive signs was the maturity Hishaw showed against Missouri and how they worked on the bye week to correct some of the issues.
“To Daniel’s credit, his maturation through this has been good, because I think a year or two earlier he’d have been frustrated in a different way,” Leipold said. “It was good to see. I think our guys owned it after the game, like we said, in all these different areas. And the approach has been pretty good on what we’re doing to get that corrected.”
The Jayhawks offense will look to establishing the running game to start Big 12 play against West Virginia. The Mountaineers defense has been solid against the run only giving up 2.4 yards a carry. They are one of seven Big 12 teams holding their opponents under 100 yards rushing a game.
